Over 90% of high schools offer concert band and almost 85% offer chorus (Colwell, Rodriguez 1). There may be ample music education opportunities in secondary schools, but are they being taken advantage of? The many opportunities in high schools are not always matched by primary schools. Many elementary schools are reducing instruction time, almost disregarding the many benefits. Music education helps students achieve success in many categories such as school, society, intelligence, and life (Petress 1). Music education remains extremely important to the development of students; participation in music and its benefits completely outweigh the monetary and time sensitive inconveniences. Author and educator Herbert Kohl stated that “it is undemocratic to regard the arts as ‘frills and privileges… a way of saying that the pleasures provided by the arts [are for people] born into families with money to learn…” (Sherrow 52). Music has countless benefits to students who study and appreciate it. Around 96% of principals in public schools stated that music keeps students motivated in school and 89% attribute music education to help provide higher graduation rates (“Educators Tout Benefits” 1). According to data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 participating music students receive more academic honors and awards than non-music students. Higher percentages of music students earn letter grades of A’s and B’s than non-music students (MENC 5). Music helps students in standardized tests as well. …show more content…
According to Petress, additional benefits and virtues of music participation include:
...teamwork, in multi-person performances, musicians have to work as a team for their performance to be appreciated and valued:...continuous improvement, musicians almost universally seek to always improve their skills and their